"It really was an artist out there," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who said he also thanked Lincecum for reducing the stress that came with allowing him to throw so many pitches last year.

Both no-hitters have come since the low point in his career – being relegated to the bullpen as the Giants marched through the playoffs en route to a World Series championship in 2012, a season in which Lincecum gave up more runs than anyone else in the National League.

But the power-turned-finesse pitcher, still just 10 days past his 30th birthday, is thriving again as offense declines. Nowhere is that drought more apparent than in San Diego, with the Padres batting .213 after facing Lincecum.

No team in major league history has finished a season that low.

The current major league batting average is .251, 12 points below 2008-09, when Lincecum won Cy Youngs and was in the midst of leading the NL in strikeouts three consecutive seasons.

He's not even in the Top 20 in strikeouts today after whiffing six Padres and walking just one to become the second pitcher in a week to allow just one batter to reach base.

His strikeouts per nine innings have decreased from a high of 10.5 in 2008 - the first of three consecutive seasons he led the National League in that category - to 8.4 this season.

If nothing else, he's proving dominance can take many forms.

Only a fielding error prevented Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers from a perfect game against Colorado on June 18 - a night he struck out 15 and walked none.

Lincecum's no-hitter is the third in the majors this season – after Kershaw and his L.A. teammate Josh Beckett - matching last season's total and continuing an upsurge in no-hitters that only underscores how pitchers are taking over.

There have been 22 since the beginning of 2010, a rate that's more than double the fewer than two a season (263 in 135 years) over the rest of major league baseball's history.

These past five seasons have produced no fewer than three no-hitters each year and the two highest single-season totals ever – seven in 2012 and six in 2010.

These days, it almost takes two to turn heads.

Lincecum becomes the 30th pitcher with two or more no-hitters and only the second in franchise history after Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. Three more of the 30 are active – Homer Bailey of Cincinnati, Justin Verlander of Detroit and Mark Buehrle of Toronto.

GALLERY: Baseball's recent no-hitters

July 25, 2015: Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels’ no hitter against the Cubs was the 13th in franchise history, including the postseason. He was part of a combined no hitter against Sept. 1, 2014 against theBraves. Caylor Arnold,USA TODAY Sports

June 20, 2015: Nationals ace Max Scherzer throws a no-hitter against the Pirates. Scherzer was in line to throw the 24th-ever perfect game, but with 26 outs down and two strikes, he hits Jose Tabata with a pitch. Some may say Tabata leaned into the pitch. Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports